Teens Who Attend Most Movies Also Consume Most Media

Moviegoers Watch More TV, Listen to More Radio than Non-Moviegoers

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- For teens and young adults looking for entertainment, too much of a good thing is never enough. A new study put out by Integrated Media Measurement Inc. found that American moviegoers aged 13 to 24 consumed at least twice as much TV and radio as non-moviegoers in the same age range.

IMMI collects and analyzes data from a nationwide panel of 3,000 consumers, aged 13-54, on a daily basis. According to Steve Walsh, senior VP-director of sales for IMMI, the company equips each panelist with specially coded cellphones that also digitize every audio source that the panelist is exposed to. A large team of analysts collect and analyze the data, advising IMMI's clients on trends and the best means and methods to reach consumers. This particular grouping of data focused on high school and college-aged youth, perhaps the most sought-after group by digital advertisers.

IMMI divided the subjects into two groups: moviegoers and non-moviegoers. While the theory might hold that people who went to fewer movies had more time to listen to the radio or watch TV, the data found that moviegoers were the ones who consumed the most radio and TV. In addition, those who went to the movies most frequently (at least 24 movies a year) also listened to the most radio.

'Voracious appetite'
"What we found here is that they look for those opportunities to consume media no matter what happens," said Tamara Gaffney, director-client services, IMMI. "They seem to have a voracious appetite that doesn't end -- the extent to which they're consuming media is surprising."

"This age group is eager to be entertained," Mr. Walsh added, "and they access it aggressively across a wide range of platforms."

Indeed, the lessons advertisers can take away from these findings are that there are a wide variety of ways marketers can reach teens and young adults. It's also important to note young people have a short attention span, so if your ads don't catch their eye, someone else's will.

"This is saying that you can't rely on any one hook to bind this demographic. ... They're not sitting around waiting for someone to come around, they're seeking it out at the most convenient time," Mr. Walsh said.